What is the Difference Between DTV and HDTV?

Monday, October 6th, 2008 at 10:32 am

1080P HDTV-DTV

This question gets asked in Google Searches hundreds of times per day, yet no two answers describes the answer exactly the same way. My aim here is to give a simple, concise answer without going into too much technical detail about Digital Television and picture definition. There are other websites which give excellent details on this, but for simplicity and brevity, here is the answer to the question:

DTV stands for Digital Television.
HDTV stands for High Definition Television.

If you have High Definition Television, you have DTV, but if you have DTV, you don’t necessarily have High Definition Television (HDTV). HDTV simply refers to a higher form of resolution or definition than Digital Television (DTV).You cannot have HDTV without DTV, but you can have DTV, and not have HDTV, depending on your television and broadcast signal. DTV simply refers to a broadcast signal which is transmitted digitally, as opposed to analog.

With the emergence of new Digital Broadcasting via Satellite and Cable, TV companies began producing Digital Televisions which take advantage of the superior clarity and picture definition of the digital signal. HDTV takes it a step further. In order to get HDTV, you will need a television capable of displaying in high definition resolution. If you’ve seen a comparison side-by-side, there is a world of difference in the quality of an HDTV picture and a regular, DTV, non HD resolution picture.

February 17, 2009 will mark the end of analog television. You will no longer have to worry about buying a digital television or whether or not you have DTV. If you still have an analogy television, it will work but through a converter box. If you just bought a brand new 1080P LCD TV, so much the better!

1080P LCD TV ON SALE

As always, EBay has great deals on auction. It has never been more affordable to buy a 1080P LCD TV, and Ebay has lots of them. Bid on a 1080P LCD TV today!